


The Ones Who Might Have Been

by MystExplorer



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Metafiction, Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-19 01:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15498789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MystExplorer/pseuds/MystExplorer
Summary: What happened to the characters who were cut from Harry Potter?





	The Ones Who Might Have Been

            The cocktail party was well underway. There was plenty of butterbeer to go around but hardly anyone to drink it since only a handful of people had bothered to turn up. One of them was an eleven-year-old girl. She decided to introduce herself to the others.

            “Hi there!” she said to a woman who was busy slurping down her third butterbeer. “I’m Mafalda!”

            “Mafalda Hopkirk?” asked the woman. “No, you’re far too young.”

            “Not Mafalda Hopkirk,” Mafalda said emphatically. “Just Mafalda. I think my last name is Prewett but I’m not a hundred percent sure. I was supposed to be in _Goblet of Fire_.”

            “Oh yes,” said the woman. “That’s right. Nice to meet you, Mafalda. I’m Bridget, the journalist. I was cut from the Leaky Cauldron scene in _Philosopher’s Stone_.”

            “You were going to try to interview Harry, weren’t you?”

            “Yes and that oaf Hagrid was going to hustle me away.” She shook her head. “Such a waste. I would’ve been such a fun character. Instead, we got that awful Rita Skeeter woman.”

            “I know. She took over my role in the story too. I was supposed to eavesdrop on the children of Death Eaters and then blab about it in front of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Not only that but I would have had an ongoing rivalry with Hermione since I was her equal at pretty much everything. Think of all the fanfic that would’ve produced.”

            “At least you two made it further in the writing process than I did,” said a sinister-looking man. He wore silk gloves that were stained with blood. “I was supposed to be in the first chapter of the first book. I might’ve even had the first line of the whole series! I just don’t know.”

            “And you are?” Mafalda asked.

            “The name’s Pyrites,” the man said with a grin. “I’m a loyal servant of Lord Voldemort. Or at least I would have been. I was going to meet with Sirius Black in Godric’s Hollow. No idea what I would have said to him but I’m sure I would’ve been menacing.”

            “Yes, I’m sure you would have,” a ghost said sarcastically. He was quite fat and looked as if he had lived in the Victorian era. “I’m Edmund Grubb, by the way.  I died in the doorway of the Dining Hall after eating poisonous berries.  I was going to stop people from entering out of spite.”

            “How could you do that?” Pyrites asked. “You’re a ghost. They can walk right through you.” Grubb thought for a moment.

            “I hadn’t thought of that,” he said. “Good point.” He floated towards the butterbeer. “Oh how I miss the taste of butterbeer.”

            “I think it’s gone sour,” Bridget said. “You’re not missing anything.”

            “Er, hello” said a little girl who had just entered the room. “I’m Hermione’s younger sister. I don’t know what my role in the story would have been or what my first name is but it’s nice to meet you all.” Everyone waved at her and then continued chatting with one another.

            Pyrites noticed an old man sitting by himself in the corner. He went over to him and said, “Hello old chap. Don’t you want to commiserate with the rest of us?”

            “Not particularly,” the old man said.

            “Why not?”

            “Because there’s no point. I know everything you’re going to say before you say it. I’m a Seer you see.”

            “Ah! That explains it.”

            “I’m also blind. I was supposed to be the Professor of Divination but apparently I was too good at my job and I was replaced by Trelawney.”

            “Do you have a name by any chance?”

            “Yes. Mopsus.”

            “Are you talking to me?” said an old woman holding a small dog.

            “No, Mopsy,” Mopsus said. “We just happen to have similar names.”

            “Right,” Mopsy said. “But at least I have a last name. It’s Fleabart according to Pottermore. Has anyone here read my book _Animal Ghosts of Britain_?”

             “No!” everyone shouted.

             “Well you should because it’s a jolly good read. Isn’t it my darling?” She looked at her dog who just stared at her blankly.

            “What were you going to do in the series?” Mafalda asked.

            “Like you, I was going to be in _Goblet of Fire_. And like Pyrites, I was supposed to meet Sirius Black. I would’ve taken him into my home, thinking he was a stray dog. Unfortunately, I was too nosy which meant he and the Trio couldn’t discuss important matters without my getting in the way. So here I am.”

            “Where is here, anyway?” Bridget asked.

            “The Well of Lost Plots, perhaps?” Grubb suggested.

            “No, that’s _Thursday Next_ , not _Harry Potter_ ,” Mopsus said. “You’ve got your British fantasy novels mixed up, Edmund.”

            “Well, regardless of where we are, we still have each other,” Mopsy said with a smile. “It’s just a shame we’re not in the pages of those books like the rest of them.”

            “Characters like Ludo Bagman and Bertha Jorkins don’t know how good they have it,” Mafalda said sadly. “They were cut from the movies but at least people know their names. Hardly anyone knows about us.”

            “I doubt there’s any fan art of us out there,” Pyrites said.

            “No one cosplays as us at conventions,” Grubb said.

            “Nobody writes songs about us either,” Bridget said.

            “But don’t forget that famous Snape quote,” Mopsus said. “’Fame isn’t everything’. There are more important things like family, friendship and bravery. Isn’t that what the series is all about?”

            The others agreed and went back to enjoying the party as best they could.

 


End file.
